Anti-Telangana protests spread across AP

MLAs from Rayalseema region call for a bandh to protest nod for Telangana. Comments

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Priyamvatha

Ajith Rangachari

Kurnool | Tirupati

December 11, 2009

UPDATED: December 11, 2009 17:02 IST

Andhra Pradesh's Rayalseema region was on Friday rocked by violent protests against the Telangana statehood with agitators blocking road and rail traffic and targeting vehicles.

A bandh was enforced in the entire region of the state with Kurnool, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Vijaywada seeing massive protests.

In Kurnool, protestors ensured a total shutdown of markets. Barring them, the streets looked deserted. Supporters of all political parties, barring the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), gathered on the roads and blocked traffic. They damaged buses, shouted slogans and burnt effigies of TRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao.

The protesters said that the Centre should either agree to statehood for Rayalseema or Andhra must stay undivided.

In the temple town of Tirupati, protestors led by the Praja Rajyam Party stormed a railway station and stopped trains. The railway station was completely over-run by the agitators, who climbed on a stationary train and raised slogans. A bus was set ablaze in Sri Kala Hasti area of the town.

In Visakhapatnam, HSBC faced the ire of protesters for defying the bandh call. The company's office was ransacked.

Protests were also reported from Anantapur where state buses and other vehicles were targeted.

In Vijaywada, school students took out a march along with their teachers on the streets. Effigies were burnt as people gathered to raise a voice against Telangana. Protest rallies were also held in the city.

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